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When Tiffani Selhorst was hired as the first head coach for the Indiana University East women’s basketball program, she told her recruits she believed they could be reaching national success by their junior year.

The Red Wolves are a year ahead of schedule.

Their oldest players are also sophomores, which bodes well for the future.

In only their second year of existence, the IU East women’s basketball team advanced to the NAIA Division II National Tournament.

Though the Red Wolves fell in the opening round, 110-99 to Olivet Nazarene University, Selhorst looks at the future with optimism.

“ (I) asked if they’d be willing to make the run with me,” Selhorst said. “Little did I know they kind of had other plans. They’re just such a blue-collar, hard-working team. I think the hard work actually got us to where we are today. It’s exciting, I’m extremely proud of them and look forward to the future.”

IU East’s first season was in 2014-15, when the Red Wolves finished 19-14 and 7-7 in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

They surpassed that this year, finishing 22-11, 15-2 in the KIAC and winning the Colonial Division, before falling in the KIAC tournament championship against Asbury.

“I think the kids are motivated, they were making jokes about getting back to practice already,” Selhorst said. “As well as we did, I don’t think any of us were really ready for it to be over. There’s a lot of motivation and that’s what’s going to be important to get back there. We still didn’t win the conference outright, so the kids still have that goal of being able to do that. There’s still a lot of firsts for this group.”

Campbell missed the season after an offseason injury and Selhorst said she could be the missing piece for the Red Wolves to make a return trip next year.

“I think the future is bright here with these kids,” Selhorst said. “We stayed an extra day at nationals to kind of see what the level looks like for the Sweet 16, and even some of those teams that made it on to the elite eight. I think our kids understand we’re maybe only one or two players away from doing that.

“We get one of our better players back next year, she’s coming off a knee injury . … We’re excited.”